What does New Growth do? We put it in a calendar!
What does New Growth do? We put it all in a calendar!
Rather than just a traditional annual report, we produced a calendar to highlight businesses and volunteer drivers from communities across our region— Bolivar, Butler, Clinton, Collins, El Dorado Springs, Nevada, Rich Hill, Stockton, and Warsaw. You might see someone you know!
With much thanks for the generous support from Osage Valley Electric Cooperative for economic development, this calendar showcases local businesses and volunteers who are making a difference because of support through New Growth programs!
Each story is about transformation, about how New Growth pulls people, resources, and partners together to build rural opportunity. Each person featured has taken part in a New Growth program. They have found new ways to grow their businesses, reach their goals, and strengthen their communities. Their success reflects the spirit of rural west central Missouri—where determination, connection, and opportunity come together to create lasting change.
We are eager to share the businesses and volunteers featured in the calendar and links to their stories.
January – Bates County’s Alvin Griffin gives back in many ways but finds volunteer driving especially rewarding—helping rural neighbors get where they need to go.
February – The annual Farm to Fork Summit held annually in early spring brings farmers and food businesses together to connect, learn, and grow stronger regional food systems.
March – Charlotte Smithson of El Dorado Springs and Amber Hansen of Clinton joined other Early Childhood Education Leader Fellows in Jefferson City to advocate for improved child care access in west central Missouri.
April – Vernon County’s Tom Claypool volunteers with New Growth Transit, helping residents from towns like Nevada and El Dorado Springs reach medical appointments and other essential destinations both locally and in nearby metro areas.
May – Miranda and Nathan Kassner of WEMO Wagyu raise premium beef near Rich Hill,Missouri, delivering locally raised flavor straight to consumers. Last year, Miranda was featured as a woman in business during the AWBC national media tour stop in El Dorado Springs.
June – Melissa Ginther, owner of Ruthie Mae Blooms north of Clinton, Missouri, is cultivating beauty and community through her locally grown flower farm.
July – Scott and Tammy Cramer of Bolivar, Missouri, turned a dream into reality with Blended Blessings, serving tropical pineapple whip treats across Polk County and beyond.
August – Cedar County’s Jeremi Harnack calls volunteering with New Growth Transit “work without working”—a way to serve neighbors across El Dorado Springs, Stockton,and surrounding communities.
September – Rebecca Price, owner of Dalmatia BnB and founder of Battle Buddy in Clinton, Missouri, combines her passion for dogs and service through her boarding and dog training business and nonprofit.
October – Makeesha Munro and Travis Jones, owners of Root 54 Farm near Collins, Missouri, grow culinary mushrooms with daughter Makenna—nurturing both soil and community.
November – Army veteran James Barnes of Benton County depends on weekly rides to critical life-giving medical appointments in Clinton, provided by volunteer driver Donna Crouch.
December – Nicole Tolli of Tolli Tax & Accounting in Nevada, Missouri, reminds us that main street businesses aren’t built on numbers alone—they’re built on perseverance, purpose, and people.
Why is it Called New Growth
Our name New Growth reflects our belief that rural communities already hold the seeds of their own success—talented people, rich culture, beautiful landscapes, and creative communities. From these deep rural roots, we’re cultivating new growth by connecting people and resources that too often remain scattered or isolated. When we work together, those individual efforts become collective strength. That’s why we value our partners and collaborate with communities and organizations across west central Missouri and beyond to turn shared challenges into shared opportunity.
New Growth programs fill gaps, clear bottlenecks, and attract investment by pulling people, organizations, and resources together.
• New Growth Women’s Business Center fills a critical gap in business coaching for entrepreneurs. In partnership with business-supporting organizations across the region, we ensure no entrepreneur is left behind, including efforts to address barriers like access to child care.
• New Growth Capital supports access to capital through credit-score building and microlending for small business financing under $50,000, helping create bankable borrowers for our local bank partners to work with as those businesses establish and grow.
• New Growth Food Systems supports small farmers and food entrepreneurs working to meet the growing demand for tasty, healthy, local food. We partner across Missouri and several states to provide training, mentorship, and business support— while also encouraging the development of needed business services, such as local food distribution, which helps producers access markets for their produce and products, strengthening local businesses and the local food supply.
• New Growth Transit is growing and succeeding because its volunteer driver network meets the needs of both the people who need rides and the organizations that depend on them getting there—healthcare providers, employers, food centers, and more—while giving volunteer drivers a way to connect with others and make a difference in their own communities.
Get Your Copy of the 2026 New Growth Calendar
While we can, we’re happy to send a calendar to anyone—completely free of charge or with a donation. But quantity is getting limited, so be aware, at this time we will try to honor requests, but we may run out before we are able to edit this page.
Or feel free to print your own! Download one of these digital versions:
Print and fold the whole calendar - print as is and fold all pages.
Or print a linear version - print one month/page at a time.
Sharing with the communities we serve is our way of celebrating the brave business owners growing jobs in our region and the generous volunteer drivers who give their time to help a neighbor.
Your support helps stretch our budget further—directly supporting business services and volunteer driver transportation.
Donate online —Or mail donations to: New Growth, c/o West Central MO Community Action Agency, 112 W 4th St, Appleton City, MO 64724